涉外英语合同写作技巧.docx
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涉外英语合同写作技巧
涉外英语合同写作技巧
PublishedinTheFloridaBarJournal,Nov.2000Note:
Thisarticleisforbackgroundpurposesonlyandisnotintendedaslegaladvice.
Welcometothe21stCentury.WherepracticinglawrequiresustodonthegarbofcomputersandtheInternet.Andwherelitigationisascostlyasever.Lawyerbillsrunning$10,000amontharenotunusualinahotlycontestedbreachofcontractlawsuit.Witheveryword,phraseandsentencecarryingthepotentialforwinningorlosing,thestakesarehigh.Simplelogic,therefore,directsustocautiousandthoughtfuldrafting.
Draftingcontractsisactuallyoneofthesimplepleasuresofpracticinglaw.Just3yearsagoatthisConventionIpresented50tipsforcontractwriting.Thisarticleupdatesthosetipsinthecontextofournewtoolsandabilities.Followingthesetipscouldresultinyourwritingacontractsoclearnoonewillwanttolitigateit,savingyourclientfromthetrialsandtribulationsoflitigation,trulyagoodreasontowritethecontractthatstaysoutofcourt.
Thesetipsapplytowritingallkindsofagreements:
officeleases,realestatecontracts,salesagreements,employmentcontracts,equipmentleases,prenuptialagreements.Theyevenapplytostipulationsandsettlementsinlitigation,whereyouwantanagreementsoclearthatitavoidsfuturelitigation.Whereverclarityandsimplicityareimportant,thesetipswillguideyouthere.TheAppendixprovidesafewsampleformstoillustratethesetips.
BeforeYouWritetheFirstWord
1.Askyourclienttolistthedealpoints. Thiscanbeintheformofalist,outlineornarration.Doingthiswillhelptheclientfocusonthetermsoftheagreement.
2.Engageyourclientin"whatif"scenarios. Agoodcontractwillanticipatemanypossiblefactualsituationsandexpresstheparties'understandingincasethosefactsarise.Talkingtoyourclientaboutthiswillgeneratemanyissuesyoumaynototherwiseconsider.
3.Askyourclientforasimilarcontract. Frequently,clientshavehadsimilartransactionsinthepastortheyhaveaccesstocontractsforsimilartransactions.
4.SearchyourofficecomputerortheInternetforasimilarform. Manytimesyoucanfindasimilarformonyourcomputer.Itmaybeoneyoupreparedforanotherclientoroneyounegotiatedwithanotherlawyer.Justremembertofindandreplacetheoldclient'sname.Startingwithanexistingformsavestimeandavoidstheerrorsoftyping.HerearesomeWebsiteswhereyoucanfindforms:
http:
//www.flcourts.org/http:
//www.flabarrpptl.org/library.html
5.ObtainformsinbooksorCD-ROM. Typicalformsofcontractscanbefoundinformbooks,suchasWest'sLegalForms(anationwideset)andFloridaJurForms,aswellasintreatisesandFloridaBarCLEpublications.Thesecanbeusedasthestartingpointfordraftingthecontractoraschecklistsoftypicalprovisionsandwordingtoincludeinthecontract.ManytreatisesandformbooksnowcomewithformsondiskorCD-ROM.
6.Don'tletyourclientsignaletterofintentwithoutthiswording. Sometimesclientsareanxioustosignsomethingtoshowgoodfaithbeforethecontractisprepared.Aproperlywordedletterofintentisusefulatsuchtimes.Justbesurethattheletterofintentclearlystatesthatitisnotacontract,butthatitismerelyanoutlineofpossibletermsfordiscussionpurposes.SeeAppendixC
WritingthatFirstWord
7.Startwithasimple,genericcontractform. TheforminAppendixAissuchaform.Itprovidesasolidstartingpointforthestructureofthecontract.Likeahouse,acontractmusthaveagood,solidfoundation.
8.Statethecorrectlegalnamesofthepartiesinthefirstparagraph. Asobviousasthisis,itisoneofthemostcommonproblemsincontracts.Forindividuals,includefullfirstandlastname,andmiddleinitialsifavailable,andotheridentifyinginformation,ifappropriate,suchasJr.,M.D.,etc.Forcorporations,checkwiththeSecretaryofStatewhereincorporated.
9.Identifythepartiesbynicknames. Givingeachpartyanicknameinthefirstparagraphwillmakethecontracteasiertoread.Forexample,JamesW.Martinwouldbenicknamed"Martin."
10.Becarefulwhenusinglegaltermsfornicknames. Donotuse"Contractor"asanicknameunlessthatpartyislegallyacontractor.Donotuse"Agent"unlessyouintendforthatpartytobeanagent,andifyoudo,thenyoubetterspecifythescopeofauthorityandotheragencyissuestoavoidfuturedisagreements.
11.Includeablankforthedateinthefirstparagraph. Puttingthedateinthefirstparagraphmakesiteasytofindafterthecontractissigned.Italsomakesiteasytodescribethecontractinotherdocumentsinapreciseway,suchasthe"December20,2000,ContractforSaleofRealEstate."
12.Includetoprovidebackground.Recitalsarethe"whereas"clausesthatprecedethebodyofacontract. Theyprovideasimplewaytobringthecontract'sreader(party,judgeorjury)uptospeedonwhatthecontractisabout,whothepartiesare,whytheyaresigningacontract,etc.Thefirstparagraphinthebodyofthecontractcanincorporatetherecitalsbyreferenceandstatethattheyaretrueandcorrect.Thiswillavoidalaterargumentastowhetherornottherecitalsarealegallybindingpartofthecontract.
13.Outlinethecontractbywritingoutandunderliningparagraphheadingsintheirlogicalorder. Theparagraphsshouldflowinlogical,organizedfashion.Itisnotnecessarytowritethemallatonce;youcanwritethemasyouthinkofthem.Trytogrouprelatedconceptsinthesameparagraphsorinadjacentparagraphs.Forexample,writeanemploymentcontract'sinitialparagraphheadingslikethis:
Recitals.Employment.Duties.Term.Compensation.
14.Completeeachparagraphbywritingthecontracttermsthatapplytothatparagraph. Thisissimple.Youlearnedthisinelementaryschool.Justexplaininwordswhatthepartiesagreetodoornotdoparagraphbyparagraph.
15.Keepapadathandtorememberclausestoadd.Itisnormaltothinkofadditionalclauses,wordingandissueswhilewritingacontract. Jotthesedownonapadasyouwrite;theyareeasilyforgotten.Alsokeepyourclient'soutlineandotherformsinfrontofyouasyouwrite,andcheckoffitemsasyouwritethem.
16.Repeatyourselfonlywhenrepetitionisnecessarytoimproveclarity. Ambiguityiscreatedbysayingthesamethingmorethanonce;itisalmostimpossibletosayittwicewithoutcreatingambiguity.Onlyiftheconceptisadifficultoneshouldyouwriteitinmorethanoneway.Inaddition,ifyouuseanexampletoclarifyadifficultconceptorformula,besurethatallpossiblemeaningsareconsideredandthattheexampleisaccurateandconsistentwiththeconceptasworded.
WhattoWatchOutforWhenWriting
17.Titleit"Contract."Donotleavethisonetochance. Ifyourclientwantsacontract,callitacontract.Ajudgenowsittingonthefederalbenchonceruledthatadocumententitled"Proposal"wasnotacontracteventhoughsignedbybothparties.Thelessonlearnedis,"Saywhatyoumean."Ifyouintendthedocumenttobealegallybindingcontract,usetheword"Contract"inthetitle.
18.Writeinshortsentences. Shortsentencesareeasiertounderstandthanlongones.
19.Writeinactivetense,ratherthanpassive. Activetensesentencesareshorterandusewordsmoreefficiently,andtheirmeaningismoreapparent.Exampleofactive:
"SellersshallsellthePropertytoBuyer."Exampleofpassive:
"ThePropertyshallbesoldtoBuyerbySeller."
20.Don'tusetheword"biweekly." Ithastwomeanings:
twiceaweekandeveryotherweek.Thesameappliesto"bimonthly."Instead,write"everyotherweek"or"twiceaweek."
21.Don'tsaythingslike"activetermitesandorganisms". Avoidambiguitybywritingeither"activetermitesandactiveorganisms"or"organismsandactivetermites."Whenaddingamodifierlike"active"beforeacompoundofnounslike"termitesandorganisms",besuretoclarifywhetheryouintendthemodifiertoapplytobothnounsorjustthefirstone.Ifyouintendittoapplytoboth,useparallelconstructionandwritethemodifierinfrontofeachnoun.Ifyouintendittoapplytojustonenoun,placethatonenounattheendofthelistandthemodifierdirectlyinfrontofit.
22.Don'tsay"Lessor"and"Lessee." Thesearebadnicknamesforaleasebecausetheyareeasilyreversedormistyped.Use"Landlord"and"Tenant"instead.Thesameappliestolienorandlienee,mortgagorandmortgagee,grantorandgrantee,licensorandlicensee,partyAandpartyB.Thisiswhereyoucanuseyourcreativitytocomeupwithadifferentnicknameforaparty,aslongasyouuseitconsistentlythroughoutthecontract.
23.Watchoutwhenusing"herein." Does"whereverusedherein"meananywhereinthecontractoranywhereintheparagraph?
Clarifythisambiguityifitmatters.
24.Writenumbersasbothwordsandnumerals:
ten(10). Thiswillreducethechanceforerrors.
25.Whenyouwrite"including"consideradding"butnotlimitedto." Unlessyouintendthelisttobeall-inclusive,youhadbetterclarifyyourintentthatitismerelyanexample.
26.Don'trelyontherulesofgrammar.Therulesofgrammarthatyoulearnedinschoolarenotuniversal. Thejudgeorjuryinterpretingthemeaningofyourcontractmayhavelearneddifferentrules.Writethecontractsothatnomatterwhatrulestheylearned,thecontractisclearandunambiguous.Followthistestforclearwriting:
Removeallperiodsandcommas,thenreadit.Choosingtherightwordsandplacingthemintherightplacemakesthewritingclear